Fright Night
by shichiyou
Summary: ONE SHOT! Everything that wasn't supposed to happen happened. And I was stuck going through it all with my worst enemy. Based on a real incident. Rated for langauge and graphic horror towards the end...


**IJIN**: Ohayo! I'm back! With a new story! I know I know… I haven't finished Pirate's Treasure and Last Day of Normal Life is on a ridiculously long hiatus. Demo…this is just one of those stories that you have to get out your system before you explode. And I'm also thinking of changing my penname.

**LI SYAORAN**: Eh, don't mind her. She's a downright freak to write this story.

**IJIN**: Damare, sou?

**SYAORAN**: Yeah yeah, but you promised to let me tell everyone something.

**IJIN**: Nani?

**SYAORAN**: ahem This story is not entirely fictional. There was a real Halloween where all of this did happen. For some stupid reason or another, Ijin's chosen the Card captor Sakura cast to take on the lead roles. to ijin Why didn't that guy kissed you! At l-

**IJIN**: talking over the ranting at the back Don't mind Syaoran…he's in his bad mood again. All he wants to do is make out all the time-

**SYAORAN**: I never said that!

**IJIN**: Yeah you did. You did you did you d-

**SYAORAN**: QUIT ARGUING! People out there want to read the story! But first, the disclaimer…

**IJIN**: looks out into space Oh, look at the pretty stars!

**SYAORAN**: Where?

**IJIN**: runs away 

**SYAORAN**: Fine! Be a coward! _I'll _say the line. ahem That crazy story writer who tortures me and Sakura so much d-

**SAKURA**: Syaoran! So you do care for me! hugs him 

**SYAORAN**: blushing well…uh…ano….um, what was I saying again?

**IJIN**: You have one of the worst memories I've ever seen! What Syaoran meant to say was, Card captor Sakura does not belong to me.

**SYAORAN**: Okay! Everything's done!

**TOGETHER**: LET THE SHOW BEGIN!

**DEDICATION:** This story is dedicated to life itself with all its joys and sorrows. Live life to the fullest; never let the downs overcome you but don't take too much advantage of the ups as well. Of course, special dedication goes out to those idiots I left behind in my old school…you will never know how much I miss you.

Before I came to Osaka, where reality hit my face like a fully pumped soccer ball, my life in Tomoeda, Tokyo, was the most accurate definition I knew for Utopia. Heaven…Paradise…Yami…whatever you want to call it. Okay, okay. So we made mistakes. But they never caused any lasting damage. And we were always forgiven for them sooner or later, adding to the fact that they were usually forgotten. Of course, those who had photographic memory would remember all those little episodes. I have photographic memory, too. But sometimes, I forget to load in the film.

Looking back to those little trifles that had caused me so much pain then, I find myself not exchanging them for all the gold that Kami-sama could ever give me. Not to mention that they provide me with pretty good material to write on.

I distinctly remember one October in my twelve year stay. It was supposed to be memorable anyway. It would be my last week I'd be spending in the place that I called my almost-home-town. And it didn't help one little bit that my friends were disposed to being sympathetic instead of making my last few days enjoyable.

It was the way they talked and behaved that drove me up the wall. It seemed as if they all expected those hours to be my last few days to be the last few days that I'd live on earth.

I guess if I had to start this recount somewhere it would be from the beginning…not the _very_ beginning. Just the spot where I think everything in my day-to-day life went haywire.

It was class time… history to be exact. But that's not important, ne? My teacher, Terada-sensei, was killing me with his non-invigorating talk. I was already the type to space out a lot. Not always…well, ever since I knew I would be leaving. Damn! I didn't want to leave!

The pains of departing were almost physical. It hurt me no end. It's just that dull ache in your chest, that feeling of emptiness, that fear of the new place that seemed to haunt me day and night, not allowing me to sleep, making me a walking, talking shell of sadness. To put it shortly, I became half mental.

To sit through History period at a time like that was hearing a lullaby after a long, tiring day. Studying about dead people isn't exactly my forte. It wasn't, that is, until my teacher decided to sneak up on me and yell "Kinomoto-san!" right in my face.

I gave a short and sweet squeal of "Nanio!" that would have made a pig feel embarrassed at its own grunts.

Terada-sensei frowned down at me. Kami-sama, I wonder what bit his butt. Terada was usually a great (if not a boring) teacher; very friendly and outgoing with his students. And _too_ friendly and outgoing when it came to Sasaki Rika.

"Well? What were you dreaming about this time?" He asked sternly. His face was very close to mine and was rapidly purpling, as if all the breathable air in the world had suddenly vanished.

I struggled for a moment, trying to grab that plausible excuse which kept on evading me. Just a memory of a memory. It teased me with its shadow. And when I reached out to grab it, it would run away, snickering, like a naughty pixie.

I let out a resigned sigh.

I hated the word sorry when I didn't do anything wrong. Still do, as a matter of fact.

"Gomen ne sensei" I mumbled, trying to look properly ashamed which I wasn't. I was too busy blocking out those evil thoughts comparing my teacher with an eggplant. On the other hand, I had to resist the urge to curl my fingers around his neck and throttle him. Mouuu…can't he just leave me alone?

When I next looked up, he was smiling again, and nodded at me. His face was once more pale.

Mood swings.

I sighed with relief and leaned back on my seat, wiping the specks of spit that I was sure decorated my face on my shirt shoulder. Terada had started to drone again and I didn't take in a word of it. As if realizing something, I turned to my left suddenly. My intuition hadn't failed me. I saw the sight that I had anticipated. Li Syaoran. Smirking in all his glory.

Li was one of those people that I didn't know how to define. I knew only one definition for him at that time, and that was that I hated him. Plain. Simple. However, I didn't know why I hated him. I just did. And another thing that I did know was that this hate-thing wasn't a bad feeling. I relished the little fights and teases that we had, although sometimes it did get a little physical and he usually went home bearing a bruised lip and nail marks and I, boasting a black eye and a limp.

It wasn't a bad thing though. He-hey! Don't look at me all skeptical-like! I needed to hone my fighting skills and Syaoran came handy for that…still think I'm mad? Well, I can't help that. They say that the genius and the mentally unstable are two sides of the same coin. Not that I'm a genius or mad…I'm just a normal person trying to understand what's going on in this abnormal world.

Sou, back to the topic.

Take our relationship in this way. He trusted me if I trusted him and dissed me if I dissed him. I suppose I hated him because we trusted and teased each other in the same breath. Could be that, but I'm not sure.

I rolled my eyes at him and turned my already dwindling attention back to Terada-sensei, who was announcing something about our costumes for Halloween. That was the next day.

Halloween…my least favorite day in the entire year, including all the Friday 13th's. Hell, at least only something bad happened on Friday 13th and it was expected. But on Halloween, the unexplainable happens. The dead come alive and walked among mortals, scared the living to death, hurled fiery pumpkins from treetops at unsuspecting, innocent passer-bys and- I shivered involuntarily. I didn't even want to think about it.

Our school, Seijuu high, had taken up the liberty of making the costumes for us as well as the Elementary school students; a job that the mothers were glad to get off their hands after hearing their daughters scream "Tighter around the hips, oka-san!" or "My dress shows no cleavage! And so-and-so says that her dress doesn't even have a front!" for four years in a row.

Abruptly, the class was up and trudging towards the door without any explanation of any kind. I stared around wildly. The class was emptying…and fast! I told you that I wasn't paying attention, but that didn't mean they could all just abandon me like that!

"H-Hey! Chotto!" I yelled as the last person made it out of the door. I ran out just in time and slid the door shut behind me. Tomoyo was waiting outside. She grabbed my hand and led me out into the sunshine. Daidouji Tomoyo, my best friend in the entire world. I had to leave her…

"Sakura-" she began.

That's me by the way. Kinomoto Sakura. The girl who abhors math, sleeps through history and blows up the lab in chemistry. Oh, and the girl who plays rugby with the guys, gets scraped knees every other day, and thinks she'll become a great writer one day. That's me too. And the girl who hanyans anime guys, lives on ice cr-

"Sakura, you're spacing out a lot, you know" Tomoyo interrupted my brag-a-thon. I looked up at her. Her eyes showed concern.

To this day, I never found out if her eyes were contacts or not. But they were beautiful. Extremely so. But now they were worried? Why should she be worried? She's not the one going insane over the sorrow that she'd be leaving a place she loved. She wasn't the one who felt as if someone had ripped out her sorry caress of a heart and booked the River Dance troupe to stomp it into the dust. Maybe she was concerned over me. Maybe she was scared that her best friend was turning a little loco…

"Sakura, are you still worried-" "Iie, Tomoyo" I said, trying to convince her, if I couldn't convince myself, that I was A-okay. "Demo-" she bit her lip. " Honto!" I said, smiling brightly.

"Of course she's okay. She'll be meeting all her ghosty friends tomorrow night ne?" a slightly hoarse voice said in my ear. I knew who it was. That voice was capable of drilling into my head even if I had a pair of earmuffs. I gritted my teeth wondering whether I should pound Li in or not. Demo, he was bigger than me… and not to mention, _waaayy_ stronger than me. This thought, more than anything else, infuriated me. I turned around and hissed a "Damare" in his face, before stomping on his foot and scooting away with Tomoyo at top speed. It was only when we were half way across the school that I remembered that I had no idea where we were going. .;;

TEN MINUTES AND TWO WRONG TURNS LATER…

We arrived late for our fitting. My tailor was waiting for me. She was tight little lady with tight black hair and even tighter black clothes. She made me get into my black dress and started to pin up my shoulders and hips. I felt a pin penetrate the sackcloth that was my uniform and yelped as it pricked my skin. She gave me an exasperated look but didn't say anything. She had gotten tired of apologizing to me during the initial stages of the dress.

On her command, I turned and looked at myself in the mirror. No…**no**…oh _no_! It can't be… I rounded on that traitor of a tailor and glared at her. "It's too short!" I screamed. A few people turned around. I didn't care less and ignored Tomoyo as she sent me that "You're a girl. Do you remember that vital piece of info? That dress is supposed to look like that. It's the way the Gods of Fashion would wear it. So you have to wear it like that too. Don't you dare say another word!" Look. "I can't-" I interjected angrily

"Zat ees zee way tu luuk" she said in scandalized tones. "You haf such beautiful legs, ma cherie et-"

"I DO **NOT**!" I said at the top of my voice, turning red. I had just about enough of this woman who made wild claims on my body. Well, I admit. My legs were lean…but don't run away with the wrong idea. They weren't the type of legs that you'd find on Barbie dolls…or models. They were…

"I'm sure your tailor's either blind or lying. You don't have beautiful legs. You've got manly legs." Li quipped from behind me.

I cuffed him across the head. "Who asked your opinion bas-"

"Watch your language, Kinomoto-san!" Terada yelled from the other side of the room, where he was wrestling a screaming six year old into her costume, aided and abated by a tailor whose hair stuck up like quills and was watching my teacher struggle with the girl with a lazy expression.

Syaoran smirked at me. I huffed and turned my back to him, peering at myself critically in the mirror again.

My dress was in rags…you know, very unevenly cut around the hem. And some of those tears revealed a bit too much of my legs for comfort. I don't know why Tomoyo had to think up such a complicated design. I could achieve the same effect if I wore a black dress and went and exchanged a few blows with Syaoran. Simple. And not to mention, cheaper. Not that I'm a miser, mind you. I just don't give that much importance to fashion.

I allowed my tailor to adjust my dress again and groaned. "I swear that I will wear my new cargos to the trick-or-treating session," I muttered.

"Yeah. Then you would save us from an early and painful death that would be caused by looking at your hairy legs" Li said happily.

I saw red.

The moment I had shrugged off my dress, I stomped up to him while he eyed me with slight confusion, which, I am happy to say, was mixed with trepidation. I gave him a good right-handed punch between the shoulder blades. He hunched over, and then glared right at me. In a voice dripping with acid, I said, "I don't have hairy or manly legs" and walked towards the corridor without another backward glance.

Life was good to me. I knew Syaoran would never hit me, unless circumstances asked him to. He was 'too man to hit a weak pathetic girl' as he put it. I leaned on the wall opposite to the dressing room and watched the scenario that was still going on with the other students.

"Please! This is so baggy! How can I live with something that wont show my perfect figure!" Mihara Chiharu was saying. Her tailor was sitting on the floor with the measuring tape held in his hands. I think he was contemplating the idea of hanging himself. But he also cowered at her every accusation.

"Bu-but sweetie, if I tighten this any more, I'm afraid you won't be able to breathe-"

"JUST DO IT!" she screamed back. I winced.

Some things never change with girls. I sighed and leaned my head against the wall.

"Can't you lower the neckline a _leetle_ bit more?" a voice wheedled.

"Awww…do I _have_ to be a drowned sailor? Did you know the Titanic never sank? I broke into two and out popped a navy boat, which they had concealed for emergencies. A lot of the passengers were also rescued by mermaids…" I didn't wait to hear any more. It had to be Takashi Yamazaki. He was the one who always came up with those weird stories. And I usually ended up believing him.

"-come on! Make me scarier!" I was willing to bet that was Syaoran. I peered into the room and looked at him. Great. Another ghoul costume. I swear, one of these days, he was going to give me a heart fai-

PING!

Something hit my head. I looked around the corridor wildly, waiting to smack the culprit who dared hit me. It was deserted, except for the little girl who was being chased by Terada. By chance, I spotted it on the ground. It was a black paper plane. Picking it up and looking around, I couldn't find anyone who could have thrown it. Shrugging slightly, I kinda forgot its existence in my hands as I watched Tomoyo in deep discussion over her costume with a few girls. But my fingers hadn't. They started turning the plane over and over, fingering the joints and easing them open. When I next looked down, the plane was half open and a few letters in white were peeping out.

I knew it was a message. Sure, I was dense. But not dense enough not to recognize blackmail when it was staring at me in the face.

I looked around once more before sliding my fingers through the foldings and smoothing the paper out. I read the two lines of the message. The message was pretty straightforward and unexpected. It ran:

_**"Beware of the night when the devils dance**_

_** Say sorry; I'll give you one more chance."**_

Soo_ouuuu_. I puffed up my cheeks and blew out slowly. I turned left and right again before looking back at the paper and reading the message again and again. I had read enough mystery novels and seen enough horror movies to know that the phrase 'night when the devils dance' meant Halloween.

So immersed was I in this mystery that thrust itself unwontedly in my face that I almost didn't catch sight of him. It was a guy I knew. Tsukishiro Yukito. My brother Touya's best friend and a guy I hanyanned. I blushed slightly as he waved. I was about to wave back when onni-chan's head popped out next to him.

I frowned as realization hit me. What were they doing here, out of University? More importantly, what was Touya doing here? Onni-chan came up to me and dropped the house keys in my hand. I waited for an explanation. "Study group. Won't be home tonight," he said shortly. I nodded my head curtly. Onni-chan and I had had a tiny disagreement the previous day, which would have ended in World War Three if otou-san hadn't intervened. So he was acting all cold and aloof to me. Otherwise he wouldn't have passed this opportunity to embarrass me in front of my friends and classmates.

I saw him grin slightly as he turned around and walked back to his friend. He held up his hand as he went and said in an irreverently loud voice, "Don't stay up too long **_kaijuu_**".

I saw a few people turn and look at me funnily. Fuming, I stomped off angrily down the corridor, away from those stares. Kami-sama, why did I have to make a spectacle of myself all the time? If it wasn't for Touya…. Urgh. The nuisance of older brothers. I tripped over a stray bag and fell flat on my face. I got up, cursing it to oblivion, red in the face and ran all the way back to class.

AFTER EVERYONE FINISHED THEIR FASHION STATEMENTS

Most of the kids in my grade were part of the decorating committee. It was the best way to skip classes, too, without getting caught. Needless to say that almost all of my class, Tomoyo and I were in it, too. The school hall was to be the dance floor for the older grades. We would be joining them the next year. By the time we had hauled the decorations out of the store room, ready to be put up the next day, had the floor cleaned and set up the lights, (Tomoyo, a romaniac, tried to lock me in the store room with Syaoran. We broke the door down and got away.) it was six in the evening and school was out.

I walked home and let myself in. After flinging my bag on the couch and storming upstairs to change into something more comfortable, I clambered back down to the kitchen. Heading straight for the fridge I opened it. Well, the freezer, actually.

There it lay, all smoldered in frost and mist. The lubricant to my machinery…The life giving source…The reason for my very existence on planet Earth and not on Venus…The holiest of holies.

Ice cream.

I took out the box and eagerly opened the lid. My face fell instantly. It was empty. On closer observation, I found that it was Touya's. But I was the one who had finished it yesterday while watching 'The Exorcist' for the thousandth time. With a shrug I tossed it into the bin and retuned for the other box that lay in there.

Chocolate.

I squealed with delight as I grabbed a spoon and scooped the first mouthful in my mouth. I almost melted. Humming with delight I plopped on the couch and spooned in the next mouthful. As long as there was ice cream, nothing could ever go wrong in the world-

The phone rang.

I picked it up.

"Moshi moshi" I said into the mouthpiece. There wasn't any answer. I stared at the handset then place it back against my ear.

"Hello?" I called into the mouthpiece. Still no answer. I squinted at the LED numbers and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Li Syaoran, I know it's you. You're the only one who does this and besides, I have caller-id on my phone" I said, still peering at the little red numbers. I was pretty sure that that was his number. He didn't answer me.

"What do you want?" I asked in a creditably polite voice. No answer. "Is anything wrong Syaoran?" I asked, a little of the worry I felt seeping into my words.

I heard a grunt then a mumbled "Nothing" before he hung up.

I replaced the handset and stared at the phone for a while, absent-mindedly eating ice cream again. Li was getting stranger and stranger every day, I solicited to myself. But …maybe that was the reason why I hung around him so much.

And my own day didn't improve much.

After watching a particular episode of 'Escaflowne' where Hitomi chooses to kiss Allen in the Prince's presence, I was in a nasty mood. I'm one of those people who take my anime seriously. I called her a lot of slandering names, which would upset most Hitomi fans and waited for the next episode to begin.

Needless to say, by the time I was up in my room doing homework, I was seething. Hitomi had messed up her own Fate as well as her friend's wedding and Van still comes to save her. The ice cream had long finished. I couldn't concentrate. The little x's y's and z's seemed never-ending as I applied formula after formula on them, trying to reduce their numbers. I heard otou-san's car come through the driveway. I heard him open the door and call my name. Taking this as a good excuse to rid myself of the thoughts of what I could do to Hitomi if she were ever real, I ran downstairs to meet him and cook dinner.

It wasn't till I was in bed that I remembered the black plane again. Turning on the side lamp, I pulled the bedside cabinet's drawer open and rummaged into the sheaves of paper that I kept there. The papers were necessary lest I had a weird dream at night and wanted to write it down before I forgot it…I know, it sounds strange. But like I told you, I want to become a part-time writer. I found the plane shoved at the very back and slightly crinkled.

I spread the paper out and read the lines again and again. But reading it won't change it, ne?

"_**Beware of the night when the devils dance**_

_** Say sorry; I'll give you one more chance."**_

My eyes started to glaze over after I stared at the light for too long. I realized I was no longer looking at the paper and blinked, then put the plane back into the drawer and closed it.

Blackmail, that too at Halloween was too much for me to handle. The last time I checked I didn't have anything to do with the words 'ghosts', 'Halloween', 'haunted' etc. Perhaps the next group of Scooby-Doo gangsters were, but definitely not me. It wasn't as if I was afraid or anything. I do watch scary movies and read horror novels. It was only when things became real that they scare me.

I closed my eyes, hoping that I wouldn't dream about the dead. It was bad enough having to face the unknown the next day without having to face them in my sleep as well.

The next eight hours went by in forty winks and apart from a few dreams on my chemistry teacher's hair catching fire and turning blue, and she condemning me as the culprit, there wasn't anything too scary that I couldn't handle.

Back at school, we were working on the decorations again…we had to have everything perfect before seven that evening. So we cut all our classes on that pretext and stayed the entire day in the hall. Tomoyo rushed below me in a hyper state of frenzy, tripping over her own feet in her haste- very unTomoyoish.

I scanned the crowds, looking for Hiirogizawa Eriol who was supposed to be helping me put up the streamers. The cellotape was with him and now, he seemed to have evaporated. I made a frustrated click with my tongue, not daring to move my aching feet should I fall off the ladder where I stood, still searching the throngs of people.

I spotted him. Talking with Li.

Li was very quiet since that phone call. No comments on how my hair looked like Einstein's. No taunting on how I was too smart for my skirt… no slights, no teases… nothing. Just acting very distant.

It's not like I cared…oh what the hell! Of course I cared! He… he…I- at this point his eyes looked up and met my gaze. And held it there. His eyes… now don't take me wrong minna-sama but if it's one thing that I pride myself in, it's the ability to read a person's feelings through their eyes. I'm not boasting. I'm no expert on the subject. I can't see everyone's feelings… just a few people.

And his eyes…they held so much emotion. Fear. A tad bit of anger. Annoyance and some sleepiness. But what made me notice was that those chocolate eyes were screaming out that he was afraid of something. That he felt a premonition of disaster.

I must have mirrored his feelings because a second later, he was staring inquisitively at me. I blinked. His infiltrating glare was boring into me, trying to pry into my heart and see the secrets hidden in my soul.

Eriol thumped him on the back and he broke eye contact. The spell was broken. I breathed out shakily. It's not often that a mere stare can frighten me so much…but then, I haven't met a lot of people who can actually use their eyes as lethal weapons. I was dimly aware that Eriol now stood below that ladder and was feebly trying to catch my attention. Syaoran was back on his chore again, rummaging through a box with his back to me.

"Sakura…"

I wonder what's wrong. Should I go and ask him? Nah, he'd only say that I was going loony….

"Sakura…Earth to Sakura?…"

Maybe his costume didn't turn out the way he wanted it too. Then he wouldn't be able to scare me that good… I shook my head. That was a sissy excuse.

"_Sakura_…"

Maybe Shiyomi was annoying him again. Maybe he's pissed off with _her_. I've known him to brood for days on end when Shiyomi bugged him.

I knew that I had been staring for too long and I knew what consequences usually followed. As if sensing my gaze, Syaoran turned around and sent me a penetrating glare. I nearly fell off my precarious little perch. Damn, why does he have to do that…

"Sakura" I finally heard Eriol's exasperated voice.

"Eh?"

"Look, I know that you have beautiful underwear, but I just can't stand here and gawk all day". He said earnestly.

"Oh gomen Eriol" I said and reached for a piece of sticky tape that he held out. Just as I grabbed the piece of tape, something clicked into place. "Hey! What the heck did you say!" I squealed "Hentai!"

Eriol laughed and waved his hands in surrender. "I swear I didn't! It was only a joke, Sakura-chan! Honto!" I gave him a rapid Look before turning to stick the black streamer on the wall. As some one threw me the next streamer, I turned to reprimand Eriol for saying something so biased. I opened my mou-

PING!

Something struck my shoulder length tresses and was still stuck there. Holding the bunch of streamers with my teeth, I guided a hand to the object and pulled it out. Another black paper plane. I saw Eriol's head ascend the ladder and peer at it.

"What's that?" he asked curiously.

"Bwackmaiyul," I said, my mouth full of streamers. "You seem pretty cool about it," he said, an eyebrow raised. I shrugged as I opened it up. There was another little message:

**_"You apologized not; a grudge I bear,_**

_** Reader beware, you choose the scare!"**_

That last line seemed cheesily familiar. But the facts were still hidden by the mists of obscurity and made no sense to me.

"I think it's Syaoran" Eriol said quietly. I looked at him and then at the spot where Li had been a couple of moments ago. He wasn't there. I turned back to Eriol. He was also gazing at the same spot. He turned to face me, his deep blue eyes glimmering strangely. I shrugged again.

I meditated upon the circumstances and made the choice to tell him what I thought. "It could be."

The rest of the school hours were of no significance, if you count the fact the Li was missing from the scenario at most times as insignificant. When he did appear at the end of school, he blandly ignored me, even when he brushed pass me as I made my way out of school with Tomoyo.

Tomoyo…poor her. I was ignoring my best friend because that baka was acting odd. Tomoyo obviously had sensed that something wasn't quite normal between us and she made me go through a few, rather one sided, question rounds with her.

"Sakura, what's between you and Syaoran?"

"Enmity?"

"No. I mean, today was the most boring day in my entire life! No Sakura and Syaoran action-"

"Mo_uu_…_Tomoyo_…"

"The least you could have done for your best friend as a parting gift was fall off that ladder-"

"Why should I do that! Tomoyo, do you want me to leave Tokyo in one piece or not!"

"If I had it my way, I wouldn't want you to leave at all. And no worries about injuries Sakura-chan! I bet Syaoran would have been there to catch y-"

"TOMOYO!"

"What! What are you glaring at me for! Oh ho ho! You're trying to copy Syaoran's glare, ne?"

"Would you cut it out Tomoyo-"

"Then he would like you, then love you and then you'd get married and-"

"What the hell!"

"-have seven kids with green eyes and brown hair-"

"I'm joining the nunnery…"

"-See! Whichever way you go, the father's bound to be him!"

"I'm gonna commit suicide…honestly Tomoyo, why do I have to always be put up with him?"

"Oh. So you do want to put up with him… Kawaii! Sakura-chan's blushing!"

"Am not!"

"Then what's the pink on your cheeks?"

"Eh?"

"You're so kawaii when you blush!"

"I am not- itai! Hey! Quit pinching my cheeks! I'm not five years old any more!"

"You admit it! This is absolutely wonderful! Sakura admits she's a woman! That means you'll get married soon-"

"Tomoyo, quit it already!"

"Guess to who…"

"Nani?"

"Syaoran!"

"Nanio!"

Needless to say, this went on until I was safe in the interiors of Tomoyo's shower, the only place she couldn't pepper me with questions.

Tomoyo made me shower and wash my hair at her place. She curled my hair while I insisted that no one would see it under my hat. Nevertheless, I had to go to school with what looked like a head full of snakes. Tomoyo's very insistent in fashion and denying her wishes could mean permanent dislocation of more than one body part. Tomoyo sashayed beside me, her wavy hair now deadpan straight.

We reached the dressing room and rummaged through the costumes that had been hung up. Tomoyo located mine first and, shoving the dress and its complementary items on me, she pushed me into one of the cubicles before heading off to get her own costume.

Once more, I was hit with a strong wave of sympathy for my best friend. I take up so much of her time…she always put me first….

I pulled out the little black dress and put it on top. Quickly undressing, I slipped it on. The mirror in front of me told me that I looked exactly like I did when I last came out of a major league tournament at my martial arts school. I couldn't see the top part of it as the mirror was situated at my feet and didn't reveal anything higher than the hip. I groped around the costume things again. The dress didn't have any stockings. Just black socks and little black boots. But even I have to admit; it did make a good combo. I put them both on and rammed my pointy hat on my head. Grabbing my broomstick, I hastily collected all my other clothes and deposited them in a string bag in my locker.

By the time I returned to the dressing room, a few of my friends were out. I walked towards them and as I did, had a good glance at myself in the mirror.

"TOMOYO!" I screamed. The others winced. "TOMOYO!"

"What's the matter?" Tomoyo came running. I stared at her.

"Who are you!" I asked getting sidetracked. I eyed her golden highlights, flashy jewelry and golden, sparkly dress. She smiled.

"Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile! Like it?" she asked, posing like a model. I grinned. "Love it."

"What's the matter though?" she asked, brushing a bit of hair out of my face. "Tomoyo, its low-necked" I moaned. "I'll never be able to live down a costume like this!" I hitched my dress back.

She smacked my hands away and pulled the dress straight again. "No, it's not'" she said briskly. "You look kawaii. Just hang on a second…" She turned and ran into her cubicle and came back carrying something. My other friends had gathered round to watch what Tomoyo had in store for me.

"Make up!" She said brightly. I whined. "Oh come on Tomoyo, you know I hate ma-" "Just for tonight? Onegai? For me?" she pleaded. I groaned again but gave in. " Alright Tomoyo…but only a little- hey! I said a little bit!" My protests were drowned as she wielded brush after brush on me. She lathered on black lipstick and black eyeliner, with a bit of pale blush, which I managed to smudge out when no one was looking.

I looked like a clown with a bad colour day.

"You look so kawaii!" she squealed, pinching my cheeks. "_Mouu_…" "I think she looks hot" Chiharu suddenly quipped.

"I do not!" I yelled, turning pink. I cleared my throat before Tomoyo could squeal how cute I looked when I blushed and changed the subject. "Anyway, what are you guys?" I questioned, looking at their costumes.

"I'm a woman from the 17th century," Chiharu said. The tailor had been right. The corset of her dress was _way_ too tight. Instead of accentuating her figure, it exaggerated every curve of her structure. I politely turned my stare to Naoko, fearing that I would think something idiotic and burst into laughter.

"I'm a pirate," Naoko stated. She looked very kawaii in a long sleeved white shirt and fitting brown skirt that was shorter at one end. Tomoyo nodded her appreciation as we came to the final member of our gang.

"I'm just me," Rika said, giving us a small smile. She was still in her school uniform. "Demo-" I began.

"Show her your ultimo Rika-chan!" Chiharu said jubilantly. Rika's smile became a little sinister. Then she screamed. Her voice rose louder and louder, eerie and high pitched. I was unable to move…frozen, by the force of the voice that shook my very soul. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head so that only the whites showed and her hair stood on end. She fainted and dropped to the floor like a boulder.

She was…dead!

She got up agilely and beamed at us. "Was I good?"

My heart still hadn't stopped its murderous run down the highway of death. Although Tomoyo and the others tried to assure me that it was only an act, that Rika had a natural talent for rolling her eyes to the back of her head, and that the hair-standing-on-end-trick was due to a little electric gadget in her palm, my knees still shook whenever I saw her.

Rika caught my gaze and sent her what must have been an apologetic smile. But in my current state of mind, it looked like a shark baring its teeth at its prey. I clutched my chest and looked at the head in front of me, which had stopped walking. I peered over the multitude of students and saw Terada at the front, casting a critical eye over us all. I fiddled with the twigs of my broomstick.

He broke out into a smile and waved his arms at up. "You all look wonderful! Go out there and enjoy yourselves! Happy Halloween!"

He rushed to a side as the mass spilt out of the front doors of the school and onto the road. There were a few whoops and scattered "Happy Halloween" calls. Every one split up and took a random street. Wanting to have some time alone and most of all, to get away from Rika, I allowed myself to amble up a nearly deserted road, after having motioned to Tomoyo that I'd join them later.

I was just starting to hum a song when I heard what sounded like my name. I listened, stopping for a minute. There wasn't any sound except for the chatter of kids.

I turned and walked the length of the street to my right.

"Sakura!"

I stopped and a few seconds later, Syaoran appeared at my side.

"What's up?" I asked casually.

"What's up? _What's up_!" he repeated. At the tone of his voice I looked into his face.

"This is what's up, you bitch!" he hissed and produced two creased black papers from the pocket of his tattered trousers. He shoved them at me. "Read them, damn you!" he yelled, shaking them under my nose. I hesitated before reaching out to take the papers. I read them and quickly thrust them back at him.

"Well?"

His eyes were wild, dancing with an unlit fire.

From my pocket, I pulled out my two blackmails and handed them to him without answering. I watched his eyes zoom from left to right before he looked at me, slightly perplexed.

"I thought you sent it!" we both said at the same time.

"Well I didn't," I said indignantly. "Don't I have anything better to do?"

"Neither did I" he retorted with equal dignity.

"Demo…" he scratched his unruly hair then spoke in a bemused tone. "What does it mean?" I gave him a stupid look then rolled my eyes. "That we have the same blackmailers," I alleged. He looked at me and shrugged, then nodded.

A few seconds later, however, he groaned. "Damn, how corny can Halloween get! This looks like something right out of a story!" I visibly brightened. "Hai, I can make this a story." I said happily. He gave me that don't-you-dare look.

There was silence.

"We're even," I said quietly, looking at him straight in the eye as I retrieved my blackmails and put them in my pocket again. Syaoran gazed at me for quite a while before giving me his usual "Whatever."

"So? What do we expect? When? Where!" I grilled frantically. He furrowed his brows and frowned at something behind me. "I think they mean the haunted houses. That's the only place where we 'choose the scare' according to the second message. They mean that there will be a full out assault at one of the haunted houses."

"So we don't go there," I said, glad that the mystery was cleared up.

"We have to!" he said fiercely, his eyes back on mine. I took a cautious step back as he advanced. "Don't you see? That's the only way we can find out who's behind all this." He elaborated in a calmer voice.

I looked around me.

Every one else seemed normal. I heard a scream…Rika must be at it again. Since when did my life become a story?

I took of my hat and shook my head, smoothing my hair in the process. I looked around once again before looking up at him. "It's downright dangerous, Li. We're walking straight into their trap! We're digging our own graves!" I reasoned. He didn't seem to hear me but kept his look directly on my face. "I wouldn't care much," he said, still not blinking. "I'm gonna be with you, ne?" he said. "So?" I asked cautiously. "Them spirits won't know what hit them when they see your face! It's ugly enough to scare the dead!" I rolled my eyes and looked around us once again. I could even then feel his stare on my face and coloured. That was it! He was creeping my out…

"What!" I yelled, now irritated. He snapped out of his reverie and blushed slightly.

"You remind me of someone," he mumbled, then drew a sharp intake of air. "Speaking of the devil…" He was looking over my shoulder.

I spotted her almost instantly. Tsubayo Shiyomi. Grade bitch…well, that's what everyone called her. She was okay to me, although I never talked to her long enough to know her mean side. To top it all up, she was Syaoran's ex.

"Let's go" he murmured and headed down the street. I didn't move, too busy with my thoughts.

I never found out why they broke up. She didn't seem the type of girl who'd cheat him. And he wasn't the type of guy who'd stand being cheated. If she _had_ cheated him, she would probably be buried six feet under now. Syaoran once told me that she was asking him out again. He'd refused her.

"Coming or not?" he called, his hand outstretched. I gave a sigh and said timidly "Will this be over before the trick-or-treating ends?" He smirked. "Definitely." I gave another resigned sigh before walking up to him, dragging my broomstick behind me.

The haunted houses were about two streets away. One was less scarier than the other, for the weaker hearted. But even the less scarier one freaked me. And talking about freaking me, I realized Syaoran hadn't scared me shitless yet, which was a first.

There wasn't much said on the way except a slight comment on how I walked like a duck in those shoes. I chose to ignore it. I had more pressing matters on my mind such as why Shiyomi and Syaoran didn't hook up again. I heard him sigh and looked up at him.

Most of my generation females thought Li was cute. With the messy hair and regular ice-prince attitude, he had half the women population in my school, including the seniors, worshipping the dust he walked on. I admit it. He is cute. Very. And if wasn't such a baka, I would have tried to impress him too. Nevertheless, looks don't mean everything to me. And he didn't exactly an ice-prince either. Oh come on!

Who thought Li Syaoran, the bishu of our school, would tease me? That's not the mark of an ice-prince. Who thought Tomoyo, that fragile Japanese doll, would take up wushu kung fu? Who thought Rika, that studious girl, would give me a heart attack? See now? Looks don't mean everything.

"Did I say anything?" he said suddenly. My eyes widened as I became conscious of the fact that I had been staring at him for too long. I quickly lowered my head to the pavement again.

"About what?" I asked.

The horror houses were coming closer and both of them looked almost…identical.

"Iie. I mean did I say anything to hurt you. You're very quiet," he said with a hint of a smile. My already pink face turned a shade pinker. I don't know what it was about him but…I always blushed when he smiled.

"I…it's nothing. Well…I was wondering why you didn't hook up with Shiyomi!" I blurted out suddenly.

He raised his eyebrows and then broke out into full-fledged laughter. I was bewildered… to say the least. "You're…you're so…" he never finished the sentence but bent over and slapped his thigh.

I tried to look as noble as I could as I said, "If you're quite done Li, we can get this over with. I, for one, want to stuff myself with chocolate so that I can stay home tomorrow." Li straightened, grinning and nodded, leading us again. I dawdled behind as I felt that oh-so-familiar blush rise to my cheeks. Bakayaro! He just had to smile. But arigato Kami-sama that he didn't see its consequences.

What the heck possessed him to behave so weirdly? Was he high or something? Just as I opened my mouth to ask him, he stopped turned around and whispered "You are so naïve!" in my face before walking off once more.

"What the-" I spluttered. He went back to his regular bad boy mode and smirked at me.

"We're here," he said, waving his hand towards both the houses. And I was right. They were both identical. Exactly identical. How were we going to get out of this one?

"Choose a house. It's your pick," he said, shoving his hands in his pocket. I wrinkled up my nose. "How am I supposed to choose?" I asked incredulously. "They're both identical, damn you!"

"Try one of those rhymes…you know, eeny meanie myni mo," he said. "Do I have a choice?" I said in a repressed voice. "No."

My finger landed on the first house and nodding, he started to walk down the gravel path of number 2. What was he doing? Did he mean we had to split up! My fear was confirmed as he called "First on to spot something weird yells." What…he wouldn't dare…

"I'll go with you," I stammered out

"What the-"

I ran up to him, clinging to him like a leech. "Onegai! I won't go alone. I'll die! I swear I'll die! Do you want that on your conscience? Huh? Me dying because you were too mean to let me go with you into that freak place!" I caught his shirt in my fists. "Kinomoto, no one's gonna die, sou? It-" I refused to listen to him as I shook him. He took my hands into his, trying to pry my fingers away.

"I can even see it on the headlines. 'Teenage girl dies of heart attack- grade bishu held in question' How would you like that huh? Then everyone would think that you'd killed me! And then…they'd kick you out of school…and…and then you and Shiyomi will never be toget-"

"I **_hate_** her, sou! Quit yapping about her and cap your bullshit!" He yelled harshly, flinging my hands away from him. "There's nothing between us! There's never been _anything_ between us! Why make so many presumptions on a relationship that never was!"

He had been pacing in front of me. He halted and glared at me. "I don't care what you're going to do bitch…whether you come with me or go and snog someone in the other house…I've just about h-"

I hung my head. I didn't know. Didn't know he hated her. In fact, I've never heard him say he hated anyone except his fan club girls…and that's pretty understandable. "Sakura…"

I looked up. "I…I'm sorry! I didn't know! It was very wrong of me, I know! It's just-" He ran his hand through his hair and held out a hand. "Let's… lets' just forget it, ne?"

I knew from the look on his face that he hadn't forgiven me. The hurt I felt must have shown outwardly because he squatted down and said, " Sakura, you and me, we've never had a serious argument before. Don't let us start now. Enemies again?"

"Demo-" "Doesn't matter" he said blandly cutting across my words.

Syaoran didn't know about my little migration…I made Tomoyo swear that she and my little group of friends would tell no one. He couldn't possibly know…

I knew I was being selfish…thinking of myself. I knew I wanted to talk to him because I wanted my last days to be fun…to be normal and not like some funeral procession. However, the thing that made me really smile was the way he framed his sentence. Enemies again…

I outwardly smiled.

"Yeah, but get off your knees before someone thinks you're proposing to me." At that, he was swiftly on his feet again. "Wouldn't dream of it, Kinomoto" he said loftily.

We walked to the porch with him mumbling "We are gonna waste so much time finding the culprit 'cos you're a chicken." I pouted. The skeleton up the front asked for our money and we handed it in. I watched the bony had close over the money. Syaoran had already gone for the door and stood there, looking back at me with a mildly impatient gaze. "Excuse me, but is this the less scarier house or the more scarier house?" I asked it. The skeleton shrugged its shoulders. Kami, either it had a dreadfully good puppeteer or else…it was real-

"Quit talking with the dead and move you lazy ass!" I heard Syaoran say. I shivered as he went into the house before me and the door closed behind us.

It was pitch dark.

"Syaoran?" I whispered.

Funny how being scared can make you forget your hatred towards someone.

"Right beside you." I heard him say. I groped around in the dark and found his shoulder. "It's pure dark in here!" he said hoarsely.

The world was suddenly cold…unnaturally cold. And before long, my eyes had adjusted slightly to the gloom.

"We-we should get going" I said quietly. I had the horrible sensation that something was behind me.

"I know… but where do we go? I can't see shit in the dark!" he swore.

"I can…a bit," I said brightly.

"Then lead the way," he said.

"But I don't want to lead the way!" I whined.

"_Kinomoto!_ We've got to get somewhere! Quit being such a cry-baby and **_lead the damn way_!**"

"I'll push you," I said, making up my mind that if I stayed behind him, whatever came out of this house's gloomy depths would then first attack him. And while the thing (whatever it was) was attacking him, I could run yammering home, jump into my bed and go to sleep, hoping this was all a sick nightmare.

I saw him shake his head and heard a sigh. I put my other hand to his back and steered him into the interiors of the house.

It was almost unhealthily damp as we mead our way deeper and deeper in. The cobwebs that hung from the ceiling, once in a while brushing the exposed parts of my skin, were life-like. They weren't those nylon ones you found at those amusement parks…everything in this house seemed real. Too good to be a sham. Too _creepy_ to be a sham.

The hallway took a sharp turn.

Situated at the corner was a fluorescent jack-in-the-box. At first it didn't seem that harmful…except when you closely looked at the designs painted on it, it wasn't anything childish.

Demons, evil spirits, corpses…this is what adorned the box. I began to shake. It was starting…the haunting was starting.

The …ano, jack popped out as the crank on the side of the box began to turn, playing a very strange, very _spooky_ version of Beethoven's Fur Elise.

If you've ever listened to that particular piece carefully, in a darkened room, then you'd know its effect on your nerves. However, Syaoran didn't seem to have any music sense.

He started to chuckle as the jack bobbed and swayed with the music on its spring. "Hey Sakura, I think we're in the less scarier house," he said in between chuckles as the head waved from side to side almost touching the floor.

The music stopped and the jack seemed to glare at us. Syaoran stopped laughing. "You think I'm funny?" The jack said, although it didn't even open its mouth. I started to back away, pushing Syaoran with me.

"**_THEN LET ME SHOW YOU SOMETHING VERY FUNNY!" _**It opened its mouth wide and revealed extremely pointed teeth, guaranteed to shred your flesh. It didn't help one bit that drops of blood oozed from its mouth, illuminated by the greenish light of the box, dripping to the floor with a gentle _plop._

I screamed, and in the fright of the moment, left a swearing Li where he stood and ran down the passage. I could see candles coming up and slowed down to a walk. Something jumped in my face…hanging from the ceiling.

It was…or had been a girl. Her face was green, her eyes yellowed with death and her overgrown nails sticking out at me threateningly. The noose, which was visible under her bloodstained hair, tightened so that her eyes bulged from their sockets.

I screamed again.

Oh come on! What do you expect me to do! Kiss her, give her cotton candy and say 'aisheteru'!

I turned and ran back the way I came, only to bump into Syaoran before I had move two paces. I screamed again. He clamped a tan hand over my mouth as I continued to display my vocal skills.

"Damare!" he growled. He looked over at the girl who was still having the life squeezed out of her. He faltered for a second before reaching out to her then sighed. "It's just a hologram," he said dully, passing his hand through it. I didn't care…hell, at that moment I didn't care for anything.

I ripped his other hand off my face. "I want out. **_NOW_**!" I yelled. Sure, we hadn't even done a quarter of the house yet, but as the saying goes; if seen one, you've seen them all.

"We can't go out!" he exclaimed "Kami-sama, why are you so worked up about a dumb hologram!"

"I want to get out now!" I shrieked, on the verge of tears.

"We can't! The house only goes one way!" he reasoned. But I was beyond seeing all reason…

"Then break that fucking door down!" I answered shrilly, sounding vulnerable.

"I have no time for this!" Syaoran snarled. Grabbing my upper arm in a pincer grip, he dragged me along the next hallway. It was completely devoid of any sort of visible lighting, yet there was enough light to make our way without stepping on anything…or anyone.

More holograms greeted us. More dead people who died painfully and messily. Mostly they were people who had hung themselves on barbed ropes, so that their heads were partly severed or thrown themselves on metal spikes so that you could actually see the muscles been torn from their body where the spike goes through them. I tried not to pay too much attention to them; I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

At one point I heard Li swear real badly and looked up as I had my head forced down. I caught sight of a flying pig swooping over us and vanishing at the other end of the corridor. What was that doing there!

The holograms started to fade as we reached the end of the hallway. Only one remained to scare us. And it was solid…almost life-like solid. I held my broomstick like a weapon to my chest and stopped as Syaoran stopped before me. He was looking at the little procession in front of us. I peered over his shoulder cautiously.

It was a funeral possession. Six men were carrying a coffin, all dressed in old-fashioned clothing with high starched white collars. The women followed them, in full long black dresses, weeping and wailing, their voices sounding distant as if dimmed by the passage of time. I let out a small squeal.

Syaoran's hand grabbed mine and he slowly move forward, as if in a trance. I tried to pull back, really I did. But he continued to drag me along with him into the unknown.

Was it safe to say that I didn't want to follow them? That I was afraid?

I clutched my other broomstick-laden hand to his arm. "Syaoran…" I started.

It was then that one of the women saw me. She seemed to consider for a moment, glaring at me, as if she recognized me. She wiped her tears and said in a distorted voice "You're the one who killed him!" she pointed at the coffin. "IT WAS YOU, WITCH!" I looked down at my costume. When I looked back up at me she had broken free of the group and was rushing towards me, painted black nails stretched outwardly. She caught me by surprise and wrapped her talons around my neck. "_YOU DIE TONIGHT, SATAN_!" she hissed into my ear as I fell to the ground. I tried to scream but couldn't. Lifting my legs to her chest and kicking outwards, I sent her flying to the opposite wall.

She never hit it. She went straight through it. What was going on! Haunted houses weren't supposed to have real ghosts. What had I gotten myself in-

"Sakura!" I heard a yell and looked up to see Syaoran peering down at me anxiously. "What happened!" I looked into his eyes. I read confusion and only confusion. "Why didn't you help me when that woman attacked me?" I asked in an accusing tone. "What woman? The only thing I remember was me looking behind and not seeing you there…." My vision wavered to the other ghosts for a moment and what I saw almost made my heard stop.

They turned to look at us. Not bodily. Their heads did a full 180-degree turn. I choked. Syaoran hesitated before turning to see for himself. The faces of those people dissolved before our very eyes until only the skeleton could be seen. Out of the murky chasm that was their eye sockets, two pinpricks of red light shone. The pinpricks got bigger and bigger before the mouths tilted in a terrifying grin and they vanished altogether.

Not a trace of them was left behind.

I covered my mouth with my hand.

The light around us increased, though it was a bit foggy and I saw our new destination.

The cemetery.

A noise behind me startled me and I turned around to see that I was on the edge of a hole. A dirty man was digging into the dirt, flinging shovelfuls over his shoulder. He tilted his peaked cap back and grinned at me in a maniacal way. "I've dug it nice and deep, miss. Now all we need to do is bury you!" I shrieked and pushed myself away from the hole. The man started to laugh in an eerie high-pitched cackle. I scrambled to my feet and went towards Syaoran who was standing watching something, the cackling still ringing in my ears.

"Syaoran?" He didn't reply but pointed. I looked in the direction that he pointed.

The little procession that'd led us here was burying their dead in a mausoleum. What made me really notice that the white linen that the dead deceased was wrapped in was wriggling…

They were burying it alive!

I knew I was going to be sick…I just knew it.

"Come on" Syaoran mumbled, tearing his eyes away from the burial. "Let's just get out of here."

I noticed how his cocky attitude had vanished. His whole aspect seemed to be on getting to the nearest exit all the way across the grave. He was cautious, checking behind us every now and then, and holding my hand tighter than usual when he heard the smallest noise.

We clambered across numerous tombstones when he caught sight of her…. she-demon.

Her white dress was dirtied at the hem and she was clambering almost animal-like over the fallen headstones on the other side. Her hip length raven black hair hung curtain like over her face, masking it. I could hear her low mumbling. I quaked and let out a muffled squeal into Syaoran's back.

She twisted in our direction at once. We could both see the gleam of sharp white teeth shine through her locks as she rushed towards us. I stood there exposed as she charged towards us with maddening speed. Syaoran lifted an arm to shield us as she came a hair's breath away when she unexpectedly veered out of course and rushed into a nearby burial chamber.

Syaoran stood there with his hand raised in self-defense before snapping to his senses and leading the way again. I was scared…I was terrified. So I did the only thing that I could think of. I started singing.

_"But did you know_

_ That when it snow'd _

_ My eyes become alive _

And the-" 

"Kinomoto don't remind me. We're in the middle of a graveyard and all you can do is sing songs form Batman!" he hissed in a sarcastic whisper. He barred my way for a moment and carefully stepped over a small rivulet of red…blood, I realized as I stepped over it, craning my neck around to see its cause. I realized Syaoran had asked me something.

"Singing makes me feel better," I answered.

He rolled his eyes and didn't reply as he continued to pick out a suitable and undeviating path for the exit. I considered a little before breaking out into song again.

_"I'm so addicted to the Love that you're feedin to me_

_Can't do without it, this feelings got me weak in the knees-"_

"Those demons are gonna be feedin' on your blood soon if you don't stop yowling like a burnt cat" Syaoran retorted. "Quit commenting and let me sing in peace!" I snapped. I racked my brains for a song that would fit our situation. I found it. This time I went for a song he couldn't tease.

_"Oh my god, we're back again_

I nodded my head in time with the beat almost reflexively.

_Brothers, sisters, everybody sang_

_Gonna bring the flavor, show you how_

_Gotta question for ya, better answer n-_

I halted as Syaoran turned and looked at me. "What now?" I asked.

He didn't reply. He never said a word…hell, I don't think he even breathed at that moment. He just stood immobile and stared at me. His pupils dilated and…something moved in his eye. My wits sharpened and I picked up the muffled movements behind me and felt the presence of some unwanted being closing in. The life form was getting closer and closer…I could feel the stench of decay and death choke my nostrils. Ok so it wasn't a life form…it was a…ano, death form.

I twisted my neck around. Zombie.

Flaked skin, dirty clothes, talons for nails, yellowish putrid teeth, milky white eyeball.

Don't expect me to give you a fuller description, minna-sama, because I was up and running for my life once more. I could hear Syaoran's deep breathing on my left and knew he was close behind me on our getaway.

All around us, tombs started to burst open and slimy green limbs poked out as the rest of the body parts forced their way through the undersized holes, onto firm ground. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" I squealed, dodging the waving sea of hands as they tried to drag us into the Underworld with them. On our right, a whole row of gravestones burst open and more zombies came bounding out. Syaoran took the lead as I fell on my knees.

At first I thought I had tripped, until I saw the green hand attached to the hem of my dress.

"Hey. CHOTTO!" I screamed to no avail.

I didn't think he could hear me as he dodged a few more of them walking deaths and disappearing in the midst of them. I frantically looked back at the hand and walloped it with my broomstick. It didn't even budge. And I wasn't too hot on touching the moldy flesh myself. With utmost disgust, I turned my face away and sank my nails into it. The hold slackened slightly as I tried to dig further into the stinking flesh. The hand, however, had other ideas and had instead of relinquishing its hold, tightened it. I was desperate to get free. Syaoran was long gone. I wasn't sure if he had escaped or not…but he couldn't help me. And thinking about him couldn't help me, too.

I scanned the area around me again. The zombies were closing in. Behind them, I could see the she-demon give me her evil grin before disappearing again. If they caught me…I was history, and none of this would ever have been written. I regarded the hand again and making up my mind that I wanted to live long enough to get my driver's license, I sank my teeth into it.

The grip was released at once and I was free…well, free enough to tackle the rest of those walking fiends. Nevertheless I was free!

Zombies have a reputation for being slow on their feet, thanks to many a horror movie. That's where I miscalculated those guys. They were fast, I realized as I tried to make my first dart for freedom. Very fast. And one mistake could cost me…anything and everything. They blocked my path, trying to force me back towards that rancid sea of lifeless hands.

It was a good thing that I played rugby (I'm a wing attacker). That was what helped me escape right then.

I didn't imagine myself in a scrum or anything that dramatic…no matter how many times you've seen it on TV, real life doesn't work that way. When you're in trouble, it's just run, run, run until you can't run any more. It's never standing in one place and planning to fight strategically…unless it's in a boxing ring. There's never time to think, to feel, to visualize, to analyze your enemies' moves, their strengths and weaknesses. It's all about saving your hide and getting out of there alive.

I burst headlong through the crowd and flushed with victory, jogged down to the exit where I swerved around and stuck my tongue impishly at them before disappearing through the door.

I had enough time to distinguish a few scattered objects around the room before the door closed behind me and once more, I found myself in pitch darkness. This time, however I was alone…

Alone, that is until I heard something shift and hit something…more likely stubbed their toe on something.

"Li?" I whispered.

"Sakura! Is that you?" I heard his voice ask back. I heard the slow, soft, thud of shoes turning my direction. I let out a relieved sigh.

"Syaoran! Thank kami-sama! I thought I was alone in this room," I said, slowly making my way to the source of the sound.

"So did I. I-"

"You abandoned me back there!" I said, pausing and there was a scuffle, then silence. "I did not!" Syaoran's voice was defensive.

"Yes you did! You left me to handle those monsters all by myself! And I just got away!" I accused.

"I didn't Sakura! Honto! When I saw that you weren't with me, I tried to come back to help you out…you know. And then that banshee woman comes up and tried to strangle me...that bitch! I broke one of her nails and she got mad. I wasn't too happy about being strangled again… so I came in here and hid. The door was shut till you came. Can you see now? I wasn't deserting you sou? I was just…deserting you."

Syaoran's voice seemed confused and he mumbled "what the hell!"

I moaned. "Never mind. You're confusing me." I resumed my quest of searching for him.

"And myself." I heard him mutter. His footsteps seemed closer than before and I hurried my operation.

"_Where are you_?" I asked finally.

"How am I supposed to know!" came the frustrated reply just as I knocked myself against something and tripped. "Itai!"

"You okaaaaaaaaay-" Syaoran's words were suspended as he tripped over me and landed on the floor as a second barrage of "itai" was heard, followed by some mild cussing.

"Is that you?" I asked feeling the form in front of me. My fingers traced his face before poking him accidentally in the eye. "Shit!" he yelled. "Gomen ne" I wailed, rubbing his ear instead of his eye.

"Shhh" he whispered swiftly, pulling me by the wrist so that I toppled next to him. His hands closed around my elbow as I turned in the direction of the faint outline of his face. "Hmmm?" "Shhhh!' he repeated, squeezing me against him.

Syaoran never was the touchy-feely sort. He kept his distance with everyone. Eriol was more freer, draping his hand over my shoulder and ruffling my hair up. But here he was, holding my hand. I wasn't sure what his actions meant…or if they had any meaning at all. But it would have sent Tomoyo into the heights of ecstasy just to see us.

I could feel him. His breathing was ragged from the fall. His heartbeat synchronized with my very own, which was on the verge of leaping out of my ribcage. I could feel his senses trying to reach out into the unknown. I could feel the blood rushing through his veins. At that moment, we became one. . I knew his thoughts, his feelings…everything. And he knew mine.

Death is not the leveler. Because even after death, some are remembered. That itself is life. To live so that people will remember us for _something_ is life. Some die at the dawn of a new day, frozen to the sidewalk. No one remembers them...no one even heeds them. That's the true death, minna-sama… to leave this world without a mark is true death. So there's a distinctive difference even in death…and no, it's not the ultimate leveler. It was one of those dividers that came after life on earth had ebbed away.

Darkness and darkness alone was, is and always will be, the great leveler.

I felt his breath waver and assumed he was trying to look at something through the darkness. I turned to my side and found nothing exceptional to look at. Nothing moved. And for that, I was thankful.

"We should get out of here." Syaoran's low voice snapped me to my senses. His nose nuzzled my hair; such was the closeness between us. I let out a soft giggle and moved away. "That tickles," I said, to my own surprise, a bit timidly. He mumbled something incoherent as I got up and bent to retrieve my broom. I felt him shift beside me and he stood up and casually draped an arm on one shoulder.

"I'll lead the way this time," I said bravely.

"You can see!" Syaoran asked incredulously as he got behind me.

"Kinda…I've got good night vision'," I quipped. We had been there for what I estimated to be about five minutes and my eyes could make out the dark door at the end of the room.

As I took my first step towards it, Syaoran's hand let go of me. "Eh?"

"I didn't say anything," I answered.

There wasn't an answer. I waited impatiently…how could he have lost me so soon? I was right in front of him!

"If I go, you won't find me again," I said in a louder than necessary voice. I knew something was wrong and I turned to see what the new face of terror was.

I would have thought it was Syaoran for the obscurity. But the creature was taller than him…at least by a head. I squealed. That must have been the cue, for at the same moments, blood red floodlights cast the newest member of the ghost squad in the spotlight. A vampire.

Syaoran was missing again.

"_You arrre mine!"_ he hissed, taking advantage of my moment of distraction. He clapped one hand to my arm in a resilient clutch. He drew me nearer to his face as the red eyes gleamed with satisfaction._ "It isss my turrn to liiivvvee!"_

That was it! Enough was enough! I snapped.

Probably because I had had all the horror that I could bear for one night. Or maybe it was the feeling of being so weak that gave me strength. Or perhaps it was because I finally realized that everything that had happened to us was a charade…a hoax. I suppose that anger fuelled my downtrodden spirits and ignited by the adreline pumped into my blood, I raised my broom and gave Dracula a solid whack on the head. It was followed by a dozen more.

Dracula had long released my arm and cowered as I hit him with everything I had in me. "You…son…of…a…. cow! …Don't…you…dare…" I panted, hitting him in between words. Dracula's pep talk died down as he yelled "Itai-oi! That hurts! Guys…itai! Stop hitting me, you demented witch-itai! Lights on guys!"

The floodlights dimmed and were replaced by ordinary white light. It stung my eyes and I had to rub them quickly several times until it became bearable. By that time, Count Dracula had peeled off his mask and was rubbing his sore head. My jaw dropped.

"Touya!" I rasped. He looked up and glared at me, before returning to his rubbing.

"Hey Toya! What happened? Did Sakura bite you too? I didn't let go of her and she actually bit me to get free! I didn't think she would go to that ex-" Yukito had come in through the door, slipping off a greenish glove and waving his hand at my brother. He paused in mid sentence as he caught sight of me.

He beamed. "Hey. I thought you guys had m-"

"Yuki-san!" I stuttered. "You were that hand!" I felt like dying with embarrassment. What would he think of me!

There was a faint thud and a groan. I whisked around, trying to locate the source of the sound. There was another thud and a moan before I heard Syaoran swear.

"Where the fuck am I! _Let me out_, I say! Whoever did this is gonna have fucking hell to pay_! **Lemme out, you freaking assholes!**_"

He kicked something and as he did, I located his little hiding place in one of the coffins that decorated the dingy room. I opened the lid and he came out, looking venomous. He stared at me wildly before his eyes landed on the two people behind me. His expression faded and he looked lost for a moment.

"Yukito-san? And…isn't that your brother?" he looked at me, eyes mingled with uncertainty. I shrugged, gazing away from the keen scrutiny of those tantalizing eyes. He flopped to the floor. "What's going on!" he asked weakly.

I looked at Touya, ready to fight for an explanation. There was a mild commotion at the door as the entire cast came through. They all crowded into the room and took off their masks…I recognized most of them…football players from University, friends who'd dropped by at our house. The she-demon came forward and threw her hair back. "Nakuru!" I gasped, identifying the girl who bugged Touya incessantly with phone calls. She smiled.

"Ah! And here comes our holograms techie" someone said. Pushing his way through the crowd was Eriol.

"You asshole!" Syaoran snarled and launched himself on his friend. I rolled my eyes.

"Ahem." Touya's cough put an end to their fight. "This little show was put on because you-" he glared at me "-ate my ice-cream-"

"ALL THIS IS ABOUT AN ICE CREAM!" Syaoran hollered.

"-and because you-" he gave Syaoran a horrendous glare which Syaoran returned. "-teased my sister."

He folded his arms. "So there." He looked at us defiantly as if daring us to speak. I couldn't think of anything to say. I don't think anything could say anything in that situation.

Syaoran stood up. Someone's cell phone rang. "Moshi moshi…yeah we're just winding up…. uh-huh…they came over to this house…. yeah, you can send them in…. alright, I'll remember that…I SAID I WON'T SCARE THEM THIS BADLY DIDN'T I, baka! THIS IS THE LESS SPOOKY HOUSE NE?" Someone's hand beckoned the rest of the crowd back to their positions and they left crocodile fashion. "We blocked the entry while you guys were inside," Yukito explained gently, as the room contained just us, Touya, Yukito and the coffins. "Oh" was my only answer.

"Let's…let's go" Syaoran mumbled. We made our way across the room and opened the door. The door closed behind us automatically. The cold fresh air hit me on the face as reality finally took its full toll on me. We had made it out…

"See Yuki? I protect her from that gaki and she still runs off with him…she never even said thank you," Touya's desolate voice floated through the door and I paused.

"Oh come on Toya! Syaoran's not that bad. He's better than most of the other guys," Yuki soothed.

I looked over at Syaoran. He was still murmuring.

"Yeah…I admit it. But Sakura's still a kid and-and IF THAT GAKI TOUCHES ONE HAIR ON HER HEAD, HE"LL BE A FRIED LI! EXTRA CRISP AT THAT!" Touya suddenly yelled. I winced.

Yukito's tinkling laugh reached my ears. "I assure you, I would expect that very much tonight! Did you see how kawaii she looked?" I felt myself blush happily. Yuki-san thought I looked kawaii! Oh joy! My brother grunted in reply. I didn't wait to hear anymore…that was enough for me.

I returned to Syaoran who was still murmuring under his breath "All for an ice-cream…how could he….that b-"

"He's got a good sense of humour ne?" I asked, feeling giddy with happiness. "Who?" "Onni-chan" I replied. "Don't talk to me about him." He answered brusquely. He eyed me "What's up?" "Nothing. Let's go" I said airly.

We walked around the side of the house and back on to the road again. "Hey, do we have any time for the trick-or-treat?" I asked.

He pulled out his watch from one of his pockets, squinted at it, and then nodded. "Hai. We only wasted ten minutes back there" he jerked his head back to the haunted houses. I froze. Ten minutes…_ten minutes_…_**only ten minutes!**_ "Demo…demo"

I caught sight of the change that came over his face. He had that glazed look in his eyes that told me something I didn't like was about to happen. He took a step closer and lower his voice. It fell like the wind into my ears, never rising beyond that whispery tone.

"Maybe the real spirits made time stand still-" Oh no. No _damn_ way. After all we'd been through, he still wanted to scare me as usual. I covered my ears with my hands. He pried my fingers away and bent to whisper into my ear, pushing my hat back so that he could lean closer, letting his lips touch my ear. "I bet you anything…if you come with me to the cemetery now, we might find something very interesting. Perhaps a couple of ghouls out to gorge your flesh. Or maybe more banshees and vampires. Perhaps we might be lucky enough to call up a few dead souls if you've got a medium handy. But I can guarantee that you'll see more spirits of those who are dead." His voice ended in something almost inaudible.

He had always been the one for setting the right mood. And that did it. I broke free and ran all the way to the main road. I stopped panting, and doubled over with my hands on my knees. I heard a scream…must be Rika. Li's words filtered through my brain again and I shivered. I regarded the area, determined to find a group that I could attach myself to. I never wanted to be alone again. _Never._

I half-turned to cross the street when I saw him come up to me. Syaoran stopped in front of me, momentarily seemed to debate with himself before he threw his arms around my in a light hug. I must have let my jaw drop once more. He broke away, looking awkward, leaving his hands at my hips. "Gomen ne. I couldn't resist. Put it down to habit, sou?" he said quietly before going off again. I was left confused and alone all over again. Why-

"Sakura" I heard him call. I turned my head. The wind picked up and blew into his chestnut hair. It was only then that I understood why all the girls were after him…because even after so long, after so many years, I can't get that picture out of my head.

He smirked. "Your hair still looks just like Einstein's" Then he was off again and didn't turn back. My lips tilted quirkily.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo hailed me.

I felt the smile that had been tugging on my lips take form. I grinned at nothing in particular as I crossed the street. Then with a small laugh, ran towards Tomoyo and the rest of the gang.

Life was back to normal. As normal as life could be, that is. And needless to say, Rika gave me several more hair standing moments that night. But that's another story altogether.

THE END

So what do you think? Please tell me! Onegai onegai onegai! I loved writing this story as it contained some of my most treasured memories. And hey, I don't fit the description of Kinomoto Sakura but her relationship with Syaoran is what made me choose the CCS cast…the love-hate relationship was invaluable. Not that I loved him! I hated him, still do hate him, always will hate him.

Most of this did really happen and I've stuck to the facts as much as I could. I did change the setting a bit so that it coincided with the anime. Things like places, names and such were changed…everything else from my enemy's glare to the costumes remains as it always was in my memories.

There are a lot of tedious philosophical points that some readers may find boring. It just gives you an insight on my views on life. On how I define life. How I see life. Like I said, this fic is dedicated to life.

Oh and…I will update my other stories very soon so stick around. It'll be a very busy year for me 'cos… next year I'm off to college! Yeah! Demo…I'm no the right age group. I'm younger than most. Which accounts for my childish stories as well.

So…you know what you have to do now…. read and review! I'll be back sooner than you think! Matte!


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